Lithiation of tris(alkyl- and arylamido)orthophosphates EP[N(H)R]3 (E = O, S, Se): imido substituent effects and P=E bond cleavage.

In the solid state, OP[N(H)Me](3) (1a) and OP[N(H)(t)Bu](3) (1b) have hydrogen-bonded structures that exhibit three-dimensional and one-dimensional arrays, respectively. The lithiation of 1b with 1 equiv of (n)BuLi generates the trimeric monolithiated complex (THF)[LiOP(N(t)Bu)[N(H)(t)Bu](2)](3) (4), whereas reaction with an excess of (n)BuLi produces the dimeric dilithium complex [(THF)(2)Li(2)OP(N(t)Bu)(2)[N(H)(t)Bu]](2) (5). Complex 4 contains a Li(2)O(2) ring in an open-ladder structure, whereas 5 embraces a central Li(2)O(2) ring in a closed-ladder arrangement.

Synthesis and X-ray structures of dilithium complexes of the phosphonate anions [PhP(E)(N(t)Bu)(2)](2-) (E = O, S, Se, Te) and dimethylaluminum derivatives of [PhP(E)(N(t)Bu)(NH(t)Bu)](-) (E = S, Se).

The dilithium salts of the phosphonate dianions [PhP(E)(N(t)Bu)(2)](2-) (E = O, S, Se) are generated by the lithiation of [PhP(E)(NH(t)Bu)(2)] with n-butyllithium. The formation of the corresponding telluride (E = Te) is achieved by oxidation of [Li(2)[PhP(N(t)Bu)(2)]] with tellurium. X-ray structural determinations revealed dimeric structures [Li(THF)(2)[PhP(E)(N(t)Bu)(2)]](2) in which the monomeric units are linked by Li-E bonds.

Syntheses and structures of an unsolvated tetrakisimidophosphate (Li3(P(NBut)3(NSiMe3))2 and the face-sharing double-cubane (Li2(THF)[P(O)(NBut)2(NHBut)])2.

The treatment of Me3SiN=P(NHBut)3 with three equivalents of LiBun in toluene produces (Li3(P(NBut)3(NSiMe3)))2 comprised of a Li6N6 cyclic ladder capped on the two hexagonal faces by mu 3-PNSiMe3 groups; the corresponding reaction of O=P(NHBut)3 yields the face-sharing double-cubane (Li2(THF)P(O)(NBut)2(NHBut))2 with a central Li2O2 ring.

Syntheses and X-ray structures of potassium derivatives and a paramagnetic nickel(II) complex of a cyclodiphosph(III/V)azane monoselenide.

The cyclodiphosph(III/V)azane monoselenide [(t)Bu(H)N(Se)P(micro-N(t)Bu)(2)PN(H)(t)Bu] (6, H(2)cdppSe where cdpp = cyclodiphosphazane) is obtained in quantitative yield from the comproportionation reaction of equimolar amounts of H(2)cdpp (7) and H(2)cdppSe(2) (3) in toluene at 85 degrees C. The X-ray structures of 3 and 6 reveal that both the monoselenide and the diselenide adopt a cis,endo,exo arrangement of the (t)BuNH groups. Metalation of 6 with 1 equiv of KO(t)Bu or 2 equiv of KCH(2)Ph in THF produces [(THF)K[HcdppSe]](2) (8) or [[(THF)(2)K](2)[cdppSe]](2) (9), respectively.